Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” (1 Pet 2:7)

Lord Jesus Christ is precious to us who believe. We have received salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing how precious Jesus Christ is and the wonderful grace His salvation provides should motivate us to live for Him. Is Jesus Christ precious to your soul?

For Apostle Paul, his desire for precious Jesus was stated clearly in his Epistle, “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Php 1:20-21) Paul’s desire was to lay hold of Christ’s purpose for his life. Living for Christ was Paul’s goal from the time he was called by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus to the end of his life. Lord Jesus Christ was always Paul’s sources of confidence, comfort, strength, joy, and love. God’s abidance, guidance, and love with Apostle Paul were evident through the book of Acts and his Epistles.

Many people followed Jesus Christ but not to the end. Some regarded Jesus as the great physician and only sought for healing of sickness. Some followed Jesus for bread, wonders, and miracles. They departed from Jesus when they could not understand His words or could not share with His sufferings. Yet some followed Jesus Christ to the end and served Him with their whole hearts. They tasted the same sweetness of His love as Apostle Paul did.

Mary Magdalene lingered lovingly all the way to the cross and witnessed His painful death. In the early morning, while it was still dark, she came to the tomb. In her arms she carried the customary spices to prepare the Lord’s body for burial. The Lord richly rewarded Mary for her faithfulness to Him, for when she arrived at the tomb, the heavy stone that sealed the entrance had been removed. To her horror, Mary discovered the tomb empty, but her grief turned to joy when she came face to face with Jesus, the risen Lord.

How can we serve the Lord with our whole heart as Apostle Paul (Rom 1:9)? We need to sustain our faith and love for precious Jesus, and also taste the sweetness of His love.